Ice Crushers

Update from Hockey Edmonton.

Saskatchewan Minor Hockey’s plan for return to game play is unlikely not going to happen before the end of March. Current health restrictions in Saskatchewan allow for practicing is small group of 8 though.

Spoiler Alert: Youth Sports won't be back anytime soon. The prospect of team sports and / or group performances in the near future isn’t looking very bright. In today’s health briefing with Dr Hinshaw, she mentioned that, students are more often getting sick outside their classrooms. ... She also commented with, it seems that it is mainly all the other in-person activities that children undertake that are exposing them to the virus and helping to spread COVID-19. This certainly isn’t the time to open up society but at some point we are going to need to find some balance here. It’s concerning that we are on a path of raising a generation of obese children with mental health issues. Full story here: https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5853190

Update from AB Government Today - Pond Hockey and Shinny are no longer permitted with current health order. https://www.todayville.com/province-says-pond-hockey-or-sh/

Great decision from the City of Edmonton. Our community user groups needs more access to arenas rather than less.

The Premier of Alberta announced this afternoon that all indoor team sports in Edmonton and Calgary will need to take a two week pause effective Friday (Nov. 13th) in order to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus. If numbers don't drop, these new measures will be extended. Are organized sports putting us at risk of spreading Covid19 or do we need to be more responsible as a community to reduce social gatherings in our homes?

At what age should parent led coaching end and be replaced with non-parent coaching? https://poll.app.do/hockey-coaching

We are blessed to have the support of the The Jason Gregor Show as a sponsor of the Holiday Hamper Foundation and today we are doing a Radiothon called the Pyramid of Giving! Trying to raise over $6500 today. Listen from 2-6pm, TSN am1260, and make your donation at https://www.holidayhamper.ca/donation-form

The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues - EFCL released communications that hockey/shinny games will be permitted on community league ice as long as the following rules are followed: 1) Only ten people allowed on the ice at one time per ice sheet. 2) Masks & physical distancing required while on ice. 3) Rink shacks and indoor amenities like bathrooms are closed.

Do you have a rep hockey player that is looking to develop and play in competitive games and tournaments? Registration is now open for Spring Hockey 2021. This year, we are thinking outside the box and have come up with creative options moving forward for our evaluation and team selection process. https://conta.cc/36hb9pu Spring Hockey will likely be the answer after a long, challenging winter.

Wise decision by a great club (thanks Ryan for considering the health and safety of Albertans). Still waiting to see if others will get the message that it's not safe to continue with Spring Hockey Evals. Rebellion Hockey, @SpartanHockey and @TeamAlberta. We are all in this together.

Sounds like ODRs and Pond Hockey are still options but numbers need to be 10 or less.

Call me old fashioned but I can't see the rational behind why the 20 year old, young adults can still practice and play (in cohorts of 150), while youth sports are put on the back burner. According to the Government website, 16% of total Covid-19 cases in Alberta are related to infected 5-19 year olds while 19% span the 20-29 year old group. Why didn't the government close dressing rooms first? https://www.alberta.ca//covid-19-relaunch-guidance-for-jun

Evaluation Update (Spring Hockey) - Covid-19 On Friday, September 23rd, Hockey Edmonton as well as the HSL (Hockey Super League) each issued statements regarding their concerns with Spring Hockey tryouts that typically occur at this time of the year. These statements included restrictions for their players that plan to attend Spring Hockey tryouts and the potential risks associated with the community spread of the Covid-19 virus.... Based on this guidance as well as the increasing numbers of active Covid-19 cases in the Edmonton region, we have decided to suspend our evaluation schedule and evaluate our options moving forward. Over the next two months we will explore other creative options to build our teams that will not jeopardies the health and safety of our families including: - Running physically distanced evaluations (likely December). - Evaluating skaters on their winter teams - Surveying returning players Finally, we are committed to risk reduction strategies to mitigate risks associated with the spread of this virus. This includes ensuring that children participate in only a single sport cohort at one time. We will need to ride this out and see how the second wave plays out. Spring Hockey may likely be the answer to a long, challenging winter. Take care and please stay safe.

It’s tough for the kids to adjust to these changes and it’s looking more and more like this is just the start to a very dark winter. As parents, we will need to ensure that our kids are getting adequate exercise in order to avoid the pitfalls associated with locking down and the impact on mental, physical and emotional health. As for youth sports, it's frustrating to see them get shutdown. I'd be the first to stand up and fight for reopening the arenas but we all know that t...his is the calm before the storm. This isn't a two weeks break from team sports. I'm not sure why it was framed that way. The Tsunami is coming and we all need to role up our sleeves and get ready for it. It's too late to complain now. Let' get on the same page, support public health and be positive. It's going to be a dark winter. Let's get through it together and in one piece. https://twitter.com/citynewsyeg/status/1328119770047258624

We have a Christmas tradition with our family where each year we prepare and deliver a Christmas Hamper to a family in need. This year, more than ever, there are families in our community that are desperate for your generosity during the holiday season. Please consider signing up to adopt a family and to hand deliver hope for a family in need. https://www.holidayhamper.ca/signup

Check out Pro Stride Hockey. Edmonton's newest hockey development center opens this Thursday, October 22nd. https://www.prostridehockey.ca

Registration is now open for our competitive spring hockey programs (Birth Years 2008 till 2014). Evaluations begin near the end of October and run into December. For more information regarding our programs and pricing please visit https://icecrushers.ca/

Check out Hockey Edmonton's - Manager of Operations, Chris March regarding their Return to Play Plan on the Jason Gregor Show! He's on the second hour at 15:15.

This kid continues to impress. Let's Go Oilers!

Hard Core hockey parents. 2008 Gold Team game in Leduc this afternoon. No parents allowed in the rink so one parent is FaceTiming from the timekeeping box and streaming to a phone that’s connected to a TV in the trunk of that car. I think we are up. Technology at its best.

The City of Edmonton sent out a notice today cancelling our ice at the Downtown Community Rink at Rogers Place for July. They explained that the rink will be closed. Closed to the users groups but open for the NHL. No compliants here. Fingers crossed for Edmonton to secure a hub city. https://www.tsn.ca/1.1490971.1593570779

Times are still tough and we all continue to struggle through this mess. Can I suggest choosing kindness? It looks amazing on you. #YourTrueColorsAreShiningThroughTimes are still tough and we all continue to struggle through this mess. Can I suggest choosing kindness? It looks amazing on you. #YourTrueColorsAreShiningThrough

Nice work Calgary. Love to see that the City made this a priority. Mental and Physical wellness for our kids plus to benefits to local economies. https://calgaryherald.com//3ce300a5-5134-46ec-9f41-28fbf6/

It’s Christmas in June (less the snow) and we are so happy to get these kids back on the ice. The next 7 days we are focusing on individual development prior to introducing cohorts and education our families regarding the new standards. Game play will begin by mid-July. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=346917422945078

We're back baby. Hockey’s back. It was so nice to see all of those smiling faces. These kids are going to sleep well. A little less video games now and a lot more socialization and physical activity. Thank you to all of the families and supports that teamed up to make this happen. Let’s not forget to stay safe so we can keep it this way.

In this world of misinformation, it’s best to stick to the facts. On Wednesday, with the UHAA we reached a key milestone in our efforts to reopen arenas. With these efforts, we have taken our petition all the way to Dr. Hinshaw (Chief medical officer of Alberta) and she responded publicly on Wednesday to direct questions regarding our cause.... Some key takeaways from Dr. Hinshaw’s Wednesday news conference include: - Arenas: The re-opening arenas are now being considered as part of the Sage 2 Relaunch Strategy. Quoting Dr. Hinshaw, Arenas are on that list for consideration. But again, a final decision has not been made and so that’s something that we will be bringing forward next week for discussion. So more information can be expected on that next week. - Games play this summer: When questioned about equal opportunity for game play (NHL vs. Youth), Dr. Hinshaw commented, I believe that the access to arenas is something that Albertans would be able to do and If any sports team wishes to engage in competition and is able to abide by the sporting guidelines that we put together for the NHL to consider, then the same guidelines would apply to them and the same kinds of consideration would apply to them as well. - Stage 2 Start Date: Two weeks ago, Premier Jason Kenny mentioned that Stage 2 could start as early June 19th. When questioned about this on Wednesday, Dr. Hinshaw mentioned that she is encouraged by our progress and, consideration of an earlier date is on the table. - Inter-provincial Travel: Dr. Hinshaw is currently recommending against interprovincial travel this summer. Here is a link that includes some of the above comments: https://www.facebook.com/2011riggershockeyacademy/videos/715795929194279/

Dr. Hinshaw responds to direct questioning regarding arenas re-openings on Wednesday during her regular press briefing. Stage 2 of their relaunch could also be moved up from June 19th.

Hockey Canada is shutting things down till September 1st while non-sanctioned leagues will likely run practices from Mid-June. We are anticipating games starting in July till September and possibly beyond. https://www.sportsnet.ca//hockey-canada-cancels-camps-pro/

Waiting with bated breath. NHL announcement today at 2:30pm MDT.

Please check out our new UHAA Facebook Group.

Great interview here with UHAA co-founding member, Ryan Hilderman, (P3 Sports in Cochrane, AB). https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1965393&jwsource=em

Our petition has made some significant ground in just on week. Please continue to share and support this initiative so that we can re-open arenas safely for our children. http://chng.it/pNq8zFVn... https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1965270&jwsource=em

"...we are in danger of underplaying how traumatic this whole experience is and will be for everyone, particularly for young people whose characters and personalities are still being formed." https://www.forbes.com//its-not-childrens-education-we-s/

The emotional impact on our kids, missing the game they love is taking a toll. Let's find a safe way to open the rinks for our children. That starts with just practicing in small groups. https://www.facebook.com/CityNewsYEG/videos/266142518096433/

Hi Parents, Coaches and Supporters, Our petition to reopen arenas as part of Stage 2 of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy has been a huge success and we’d like to thank you for all of your support and encouragement. Here is a link:... http://chng.it/pNq8zFVn Our petition and proposal have created quite a bit of interest for our cause over the past few days. To date we have gathered over 3,000 signatures, while 16,600+ have viewed our plan. As a result of these efforts, we were approached by several other hockey clubs and hockey development organizations with similar interests. Many had already prepared similar plans. On Tuesday, we formed a new organization called, UHAA (United Hockey Alliance of Alberta) that is now working together to help promote our original petition and proposal to safely reopen arenas while we continue to refine our plan prior to presenting it to the Alberta Government. UHAA now has over 100 members that consist of hockey leaders in our community and we are also encouraging other sports like ringette, sledge hockey to join our cause. Moving forward, our petition and messaging will look a bit different as we are now promoting it under the UHAA banner. This includes all of the logos of the organizations that are now members of UHAA and as a team, we are now advocating with one common message. We will also be improving our proposal to re-open arenas by adding some new safety measures that we are adopting from input gathered by UHAA. We encourage you to reach out to your local MLA and to request them to review and consider our proposal to re-open arenas safely as part of Stage 2 of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy. In addition, the media has been in touch with us and there are several stories that they will be sharing with you in within the next 48 hours. Finally, we encourage you all to take the time to share our petition within your social media networks. Your time and consideration are met with appreciation. Regards, Paul Stone UHAA Member

Opening arenas in a safe manner with a focus on individual skill development would be beneficial for the mental health of our youth. The second wave could very well be right around the corner in the late fall. Low risk, high reward.

Let's re-open the ice rinks as part of Stage 2 of Alberta's Relaunch Strategy and let's do it safely. We have a plan and we need your help. http://chng.it/pNq8zFVn The COVID-19 virus has had an emotional, social, physical and a developmental impact on our young and impressionable children.... We are proposing that the Alberta Government reconsider reopening ice arenas for modified sports programs in the category of small group gatherings for Stage 2 of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy. Our objective is to commit to new standards and restrictions that ensure a safe and healthy environment for all. With our adherence to physical distancing and risk reduction recommendations, we believe arena facilities can be safe environments for athletes, their fans, and the arena staff alike. We need your help to persuade the Alberta Government, so please consider reviewing our proposal and signing our petition. Here is a link to our proposal: https://storage.googleapis.com//Proposal%20for%20Approval%

How and when is minor hockey going to return to an arena near you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL0s8Bf9Fg8

Do you want to make an impact? Do you care about your community? It's time for all of us to take this seriously and to do our part. That means no more play dates, no more congregating in groups and please don't leave your house if you are feeling unwell. ... It's time for all of us to hunker down in our homes to help to stop the spread of this virus. The sooner we nip this in the butt, the sooner we all return to our privileged lives.

Spring Hockey 2020 4 on 4 League. 30+ NHL Teams (Past and Present Stars) All Skill Levels - Novice and Atom Divisions https://icecrushers.ca/4-on-4-spring

Crusher Camp $195 for 10 Hours of Development: - 5 Hours: Instructor Led - 5 Hours: 4 on 4 Games - 1 Amazing Price Aug. 3-7, 2020 - Kinsmen Arena... https://icecrushers.ca/crusher-camp See more

Crusher Cup Update: Most divisions are sold out. We have some availability in 2010 Gold, 2009 Gold, 2008 Gold and 2007 Silver.

We just passed 800 "Likes" for our Ice Crushers Facebook Page. I wonder how many we would get if there was a "Tolerate" button?We just passed 800 "Likes" for our Ice Crushers Facebook Page. I wonder how many we would get if there was a "Tolerate" button?

Crusher Cup 2020 Update: 2010-2012 Divisions are now Sold Out. Very little availability in 2013, 2009 - 07 Gold and Silver Divisions.

Register now for Spring 2020. 30+ Teams All Skill Levels Novice and Atom Divisions https://icecrushers.ca/4-on-4-spring

Hoodie Sale https://icecrushers.entripyshops.com/

2011 Ice Crushers (PHL Team) keep rolling. 12-0 on the season and Kasen had back to back shut outs on Sunday (6-0 then 5-0). The teamwork, hard work and passing is amazing. Thank you to the amazing coaching staff who help make this team what it is. #icecrushers #teamtobeat #shutoutsareamazing #bestteammates

Brick Series Selection Camp for 2011 & 2012 Born Elite and Super-Elite Players begins on December 20th. https://icecrushers.ca/brick-series

There is no substitute for hard work and earning your spot. Even if it's your first rodeo, there will be others and you have to earn it. That takes time, commitment and dedication. That's why our coaches evaluate the kids each year. Some move up and some move down but no one is given a free ride. It's a lot like the real world and for some of these kids, that's only a few years away.

4th Annual Crusher Cup May 1st - 3rd, 2020 $2195 / Team - Early Bird Pricing Ends on December 15th 60+ Teams 5 Games Guaranteed for Top 4 Teams in each Division.... https://icecrushers.ca/crusher-cup See more

Goodbye Novice, Atom, Bantam and Midget. Are they keeping Timbit or is that offensive too? I guess this makes sense. Now we are aligned with soccer (or is it Futebol?). Perhaps we should focus on the "On-Ice" elements of the game? It's kids hockey, right?... https://hockeycanada.ca//2020-21-coach-changes-made-to-age

Food for thought.

Evaluations for our 2010 till 2012 groups start today (Top Tier 1 players). All sessions are full today. With our format, we control the number the kids on the ice for each skate. Our next round of evaluations (2007 till 2013 birth year) is on November 11th and we have recently added some additional sessions based on the increased demand for Spring Hockey. Our registration numbers are up 20% year over year. Interest in Ice Crusher Spring Hockey continues to rise and we are g...rateful to our Crusher families for their continued support. See the updated evaluation schedule under each of the birth years on our website: https://icecrushers.ca/5-on-5-spring

The Imbalance of Opportunity in Minor Hockey It’s common for coaches to strategize to win games. That’s why we practice and that’s why we playisn’t it? We know that there is a correlation between winning and having fun but does a young athlete need to win in order to have fun. What about development? Do athletes develop quicker if they are playing on a team that is more successful in the win column?...Continue reading

Where's Axel? https://globalnews.ca//edmonton-oilers-ryan-nugent-hopki/

2020 Spring Hockey / Brick Series Newsletter https://myemail.constantcontact.com/2020-Spring-Hockey---Br

Spring Hockey Update: Zac Coyle returns to coach the 2009 Gold Team for his second year. In the winter months, he's an assistant coach with the SSAC Midget AAA athletics (his 6th season). Prior to that, he played elite level hockey throughout his youth and winter AAA and AA with SSAC in Bantam and Midget. He later Head Coached the HC Edmonton Wild 04 team for two seasons. Zac is keen to apply the science of hockey with offensive and defensive systems while leading his players... through the transition to a team game. Welcome Back Zac. We are looking forward to another great season with you at the helm. https://icecrushers.ca/2009-birth-year

What happened to old "healthy competition" where all players received equal opportunity to develop and we rewarded the high achievers for their hard work and determination? We are not all created equally so why are we still trying to place every child into the same mold. #CelebrateSuccess https://www.mensjournal.com//how-participation-trophies-/

Roughly 254 days until the Final and Lord Stanley is crowned. All the excitement starts tonight.

Ice Crushers Spring Hockey!! Registration is open for Evaluations!! Be an Ice Crusher~Be Exceptional!

Registration for Spring Hockey 2020 is now open. Evaluations begin on November 1st. Check out our Programs & Pricing. https://icecrushers.ca/5-on-5

I’m sorry Hockey Edmonton but you are still missing the mark here. This adjustment to tiering is a step in the right direction but it certainly isn’t the best tiering system our minor hockey program has ever had. As David pointed out, games will be closer as the overall team dynamics will be closer with their competition but there will still be a huge divide between the top players and the bottom players on each team. Thus, players will not receive the best opportunity to d...evelop. Some players will lug the puck more as there will be more room for them to skate playing against opponents that have weaker players. Other players won’t build confidence as they won’t get an opportunity to carry the puck playing against kids that have much stronger skill. Back in 2017-18 there were 14 tiers and clubs evaluated their players and placed them into groups based on the skill of the players. After 6 games, teams were re-tiered as it was easy to move them around as there were 14 separate skill levels. It still wasn’t a perfect system, but it certainly was much better then 6 tiers. The only benefit for dividing kids into 6 tiers is so more parents can say that they have a player that plays Tier 1. It’s the Social Media era we live in and it’s sad that Hockey Alberta and Hockey Edmonton don’t see that. https://edmontonjournal.com//david-staples-hockey-edmonton